Met the January university application deadline but received no offers? Ucas
Extra, which is now open, is your chance to apply elsewhere

Sometimes it’s great to be given another opportunity; another chance to make a decision you feel you should have made the first time around.

If you have applied to start university in September, you may think that your chance to change your mind has gone; passing in the blink of an eye on January 15 – the deadline Ucas gives for the majority of applications.

For those of you who applied to the January deadline and who are still waiting to hear back, universities have until May to make an offer, so don’t give up hope of receiving a reply just yet.

However, for those that have either received no offers or who have declined those that have been received, don’t despair; from February 25, Ucas Extra opens for prospective students who used all five choices in their initial round of applications – in other words, it's your opportunity to have another go.

Extra – for those who don’t know – gives candidates the chance to apply for places on courses that still have vacancies. The system doesn’t require any extra charge and stays open until July 2, giving you plenty of time to make a decision.

And you won't be alone, according to Ucas, some 7,620 people are now studying at university thanks to using Extra last year.

If you decide to apply through Extra, check out the Choices section of Track. The option ‘Add Extra Choice’ will become available if you are eligible to apply. Click this option and enter the relevant details of the new course and university you wish to apply to.

However, while Extra opens today, you don’t have to be ready to enter the process immediately. If you’re still waiting to hear back from certain universities, or you are still debating whether to accept an offer, you have until July 2 to enter a course in the system.

You could, if you should desire, cancel any outstanding applications in Track, which will make you eligible for Extra. However, you will not be able to reinstate these options later on, so you should give this decision some careful thought before going ahead.

As with Clearing, it’s important to do your research. You can only enter one Extra choice at a time, so it’s worth making sure the first one you enter is your best choice from the options available.

It may take the university some time to process your application and decide whether to make you an offer. So, despite the fact that there is no limit – accept the time available – to the amount of Extra applications you can make, you wouldn’t want to miss out on your first choice, by not doing enough initial research.

A university has 21 days to reply to your application, after this deadline you can add a different choice. Some institutions may take longer to reply, but after this deadline, it’s up to you whether you decide to apply elsewhere.

Remember, you can only apply for one new course at a time and this entirely depends on whether the university has places to offer through Extra. If the course does have places available, a grey ‘X’ will appear next to the subject in Course Search.

It’s also worth noting that there is no option to change your personal statement. If you feel that a different course is for you and you want to apply through Extra, you should contact the university admissions team to explain your decision. You can then offer to send an updated personal statement relevant to your new subject choice.

Once you’ve completed the steps above, applied for a place through Extra, received a new offer and accepted the place, this is just as much a commitment to the university as if you had accepted an initial offer.

You will be offered a place on the course if you meet the conditions of the offer on Results Day in August. If not, you will be entered into Clearing.

However, before blindly entering details of new courses, now is the time to have a serious think. If you didn’t receive any offers first time round, it might be worth reassessing your subject choice.

Take a good look at your qualifications and make sure they match the entry requirements of the course you have applied to. Take a close look at your personal statement; does it really show enthusiasm for the course and have you demonstrated your commitment to the subject? If not, maybe you should consider a different degree, or indeed, an apprenticeship.

It might be that a similar or related course at another university might better match your skill set or your long term ambitions. Arrange a meeting with your tutor or careers adviser at school, or sit down and have a chat with someone at home who you can trust to give you honest advice.

Extra is another opportunity to get a place at university; make sure you really do your research beforehand.